This is a picture of the Dick Lane’s Sorrell SR-100 From ’55 – on a Kurtis 500 Chassis, no Less!
Hi Gang…
This is our sixth in a series of “spotlights” on sections of a Buyer’s Guide for fiberglass sports cars published by Car Craft in March, 1956. Click on the link below to review all fiberglass cars discussed in this 1956 Buyer’s Guide as of today:
Click here to review all articles published on the Car Craft, March 1956 Buyer’s Guide
Today’s article focuses on the Sorrell SR-100 Sports Car designed by Bob Sorrell which debuted in November 1953 at the Petersen Motorama in Los Angeles, California.
Background: Sorrell SR-100 Sports Cars
We have lots to share on the Sorrell SR-100 so hold onto your fiberglass hats in the near future. Bob Sorrel was born in 1927 and was 26 years old when his first car debuted in 1953. He went on to make two different size bodies like this and also offered the larger of the two bodies in aluminum.
Dick Jones, Meteor SR1 designer and builder, shared a story with me a few years ago about how the first Sorrell body was built. Dick knew Bob Sorrell and went to California Metal Shaping to see his latest project. Dick remembered what he saw because it was quite unusual (at least he thought at the time).
“What I remembered, Geoff, was that they were creating two bodies at once out of aluminum. I hadn’t seen that before. The shop would put two aluminum sheets together and tack them (weld). They would then shape the metal over the buck and then untack the sheet and ‘presto” they had two panels – not one.
They fit each sheet to a skeleton of stations and each sheet was then welded to the next. Bob wanted to keep one body and sell the other to pay for the first. The fiberglass mold was then taken off this ‘first’ aluminum body.”
So…we’ve seen the original bucks used for our fiberglass built from plaster (Glasspar G2 and others), clay (Victress S4, Grantham Stardust, and others), and now aluminum (Sorrell SR-100). These guys were creative and entrepreneurial in every way gang!
Sorrell Engineering:
I have several pieces from “Sorrell Engineering” that I’ll share in the near future. One of these pieces gives detailed information about the history of the company. Let me share a bit with you now:
“The Sorrell Engineering firm has been designing and building sportscar bodies since 1942. In 1952, the first fiberglass body was produced. The design was sketched in perspective on the drawing board and from that design quarter scale drawings were made.
Full-scale cross-sections were developed and a wood mock-up was produced and delivered to the metal shapers for rough forming. Two aluminum skins of .0625 were produced in the rough, then it took four months to complete one metal body. Interior and exterior templates were made to assure a precision finished body: the SR-100.
The firm specializes in sportscar styling and building. The bodies are constructed of fiberglass or metal. Aluminum bodies are our specialty, however, to fit the average pocketbook, we make several bodies in fiberglass. The SR-100 in either roadster, competition or coupe. The SR-190 in coupe only.
We also make a line of fiberglass tops for MG, Jaguar, Allard, Porsche and Austin-Healyy (prototype). We are making a Cooper Streamliner type body.”
So…enjoy this segment of Car Craft’s 1956 Fiberglass Buyers Guide and be on the lookout for the next Sorrell hiding out there. Just a few have been found, and your efforts could make you the next lucky owner. And you’d make Bob Sorrell very proud.
Go get ‘em gang!
Car Craft (March 1956): The Sorrell SR-100 Sports Car
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Car Craft (March 1956) |
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| Wheelbase |
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| Tread – Front |
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| Tread – Rear |
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| Overall Length |
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| Overall Width |
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| Overall Height at Cowl |
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| One Piece Body Shell Only |
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| Other stages of body completion and accessories are available at extra cost. | |
| For additional prices and information, write: | Sorrell Engineering 9616 Felton Street Inglewood, California Orchard 7-1402 |
Summary:
Hope you enjoyed the story, and until next time…
Glass on gang…
Geoff
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Click on the Images Below to View Larger Pictures
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- This is a picture of the Dick Lane’s Sorrell SR-100 From ’55 – on a Kurtis 500 Chassis, no Less!
LOL I was expecting a listing of kit cars..
Great Article!
I think my SR200 is better looking!
Mike